Cooking Archives - Homesteader DepotHomesteader Depot

7 Clever Uses for Cheesecloth

How much do you know about cheesecloth? This porous cloth was initially designed to help cheesemakers squeeze the liquid out of cheese curds, hence its name. However, it has a number of other uses as well – many of which you probably never considered. Here are seven of these incredibly clever uses for cheesecloth. You’ll want to keep some in your home after reading them. 1) Polishing Your Silver All that you need in order to make your silver shine is a little silver polish, some water, and a piece of cheesecloth. The steps are very easy. Start by […]

10 Substitutes for Baking Powder

Baking powder is a widely used ingredient that makes your baked goods lighter and fluffier. The problem is, you might not always have it available to you. Instead of skipping the recipe altogether, discover some great substitutes that can be used in its place. Baking Powder Defined The composition of baking powder is sodium bicarbonate. It is known in the world of chemistry as a base that gets paired with an acid like cream of tartar or filler such as cornstarch. The leavening agent is used commonly in a variety of baking recipes. When the baking soda is mixed with […]

How To Build An Earth Oven

An earthen oven is exactly what it sounds like – an oven made of a combination of dried earth and clay. These ovens tend to cook things better than standard outdoor brick ovens, and are fairly easy to build, as long as you know how. History of Earth Ovens A type earth oven, known as a pit hearth, has been used for centuries. Examples of them have been found in Europe that date back to the Bronze Age. In the United States, they were commonly used by Native American tribes to cook large meals. Use of these ovens […]

Homestyle Skillet Pizza (Video)

Who doesn’t love pizza? Ordering in from your local pizzeria is great, but like so many things in life, homemade is always better. You get fresher dough, you can tailor ingredients to your personal A really fun and easy way to make homemade pizza taste delicious and cook perfectly is to cook it in a skillet, like this video shows. Cast iron skillets are so useful in the kitchen, but they don’t have to be restricted to stir-fries and bacon! Baking in cast iron is a great way to add some versatility to your dishes and your cooking talents. Enjoy, […]

Cooking Skills Every Homesteader Should Cultivate

One of the primary reasons many people homestead is to have a closer relationship with the source of their food. You yearn to grow your own vegetables, raise your own meat and dairy, forage, and hunt; essentially, to be independent of the increasingly complicated globalized food system. These are certainly noble aspirations, and we share them here. Going back to a simpler time, to our roots, is something many of us are striving for in this modern world. Only a few generations ago, many people lived much more self-reliant and independent lives, and with the precarious situation our whole planet seems […]

How to Read Antique Cookbooks

Antique cookbooks are a wonderful relic of the past, and yet, if you’ve ever tried to make any of the recipes contained within, you might find yourself scratching your head. Just as lifestyles have changed drastically in the last half, even quarter century, so have the way we cook, talk about, and interact with food, and the cookbooks of yesteryear might be a bit cryptic to today’s modern cook. However, if you are a homesteader, these antique cookbooks might be very appealing to you. They are written for people who had access to the kinds of things homesteads produce, and […]

Slow Cooker vs. Instant Pot (Video)

I have been hearing so much hype about the Instant Pot lately, and I wanted to see what all the buzz was all about. I have got to tell you, I’m itching to get one of these myself after watching this video! Slow cookers are great, especially for things like bone broth or chili, but Instant Pots can cook both quickly and slowly, which is super cool. Regular pressure cookers are great, especially for off-grid energy situations, so I could see an Instant Pot being a real boon to many homesteaders! Check it out, I bet you’ll want one too: […]

How to Cook With And Season Cast Iron (Video)

A good cast iron skillet is one of the most important–if not the most important kitchen tools you’ll ever own. You could probably have only a cast iron skillet and some basic utensils in your kitchen and go very far. Many people are intimidated by cast iron because it has a particular cleaning protocol, but it’s really not so complicated to care for, especially if you know what you’re doing. The YouTube channel Tasty, purveyor of those really awesome visually-appealing viral cooking videos, shares some important tips on how to care for and use the classic cast iron skillet. Enjoy! If you […]

How to Use Up Extra Tomatoes

Too many tomatoes is a great problem to have! Whether you’ve found a killer deal at the grocery store or farmer’s market, or your garden is overflowing with juicy, ripe, tomatoes just begging to be used up, having too many tomatoes on your hand is awesome, but also poses a big challenge. How on earth can you use up all those delicious tomatoes? Well, we’ve got you covered. All it takes is a little creativity! Here are some great suggestions for how to make the most of a big bounty of tomatoes. Canning This is the classic way to preserve […]

Why You Should Know About Leeks

Many Americans have no idea what a leek is, but they should! Many other cultures know the depth of their health benefits, as well as delicious, savory flavor. Known scientifically as Allium porrum, leeks are closely related to other aromatic vegetables such as garlic, onions, shallots, and scallions. Like these relatives, they grow from bulbs, and have dark, green, tightly wrapped leaves. They resemble very large scallions, and usually grow about 12″ tall and a few inches in diameter. Leeks can be grown year-round, but are most commonly available fall through early spring. Their flavor is similar to that of onions and shallots, […]

How to Care for Wood Cutting Boards and Utensils (Video)

Wooden spoons and cutting boards are great to use in the kitchen, but, like cast-iron, they require the right kind of care. A popular way to keep wooden kitchen ware conditioned is to use mineral oil and beeswax, but is this the healthiest option for your family? Wardee from TradtionalCookingSchool.com shares her thoughts on the healthiest ways to care for wooden spoons and cutting boards in one of her recent podcast episodes, #AskWardee. Enjoy! If you enjoyed this, you might also like…. Do You Have What You Need to Hold Down the Fort? Natural Healing Secrets You Need to Know… […]

How to Make Whey Ricotta (Video)

I mentioned whey, recently in my article on healthy homemade probiotic lemonade, so if you’ve read that already you’ll be familiar with it. Whey is what separates from curds when milk curdles, or what comes off of cheese or yogurt during the straining process. One of the coolest ways you can use up extra whey (and if you’ve ever made cheese, you’ll know how much you get) is to make homemade ricotta cheese. When whey first forms, it is full of protein strands, and you can essentially “harvest” these through a simple process to make delicious ricottta cheese. It’s a great way to make […]

Beef Cuts and How to Cook Them (Infographic)

I’ve often recommended on this blog finding local, farm-raised meat and dairy for the most sustainable, healthy lifestyle. The thing about finding local meat, however, is that you might find yourself with some cuts of meat that you’re not familiar with and not used to cooking. I don’t know about you, but when I started learning to cook, I mostly knew how to saute ground beef and braise chicken breasts. Getting familiar with the different cuts of beef and how to prepare them can vastly broaden your culinary knowledge and abilities, as well as introduce you to some great new […]

How to Make Sourdough Without a Recipe (Video)

I’m a huge fan of home fermenting and culturing of all kinds. Yogurt, kefir, kombucha, pickled vegetables, and my personal favorite, sourdough bread. Sourdough is not just a distinct flavor of bread, it gets its rich, sour flavor from the leavening culture that causes it both to rise, and changes the metabolic structure of the wheat. Sourdough is actually much healthier than breads that are not naturally fermented, because the culturing process actually breaks down the antinutrients that can make wheat difficult to digest. Some people who can’t otherwise eat gluten can still eat sourdough, actually! I have made sourdough […]

Dirt Cheap Foods for Homesteaders

Whether you’re an urban homesteader or full-blown, land-owning, farmer, you have probably come to a time in your life at some point in which you had to keep your budget tight. If you are saving up for land, land development, or simply trying to budget and spend in a smarter way, food is always one of the biggest expenses, and it can be hard to know how to cut back on food spending without going for less healthy, processed foods. Fortunately, there are many wonderfully healthy and nutritious foods out there that are not only good for you, they’re dirt […]

Simple Yet Healthy Homemade Ketchup

Ketchup is an American staple, but did you know you can make it very easily at home? Unfortunately, a lot of store-bought ketchup is made with loads of sugar and sometimes even artificial coloring and flavoring. If you’re craving some delicious ketchup but want a healthy, whole-food version that doesn’t sacrifice health for taste, I’ve got the perfect recipe! This recipe uses all natural, easy-to-find ingredients, and instead of lots of cane sugar like regular ketchup typically has, it requires just a bit of honey and coconut sugar, which are much healthier and both have a very low GI index […]

How To Make Caramelized Onions in a Slow Cooker

I don’t know about you, but I love caramelized onions. What I don’t love is spending half an hour in front of my stove, stirring the onions and waiting for them to get to just the right degree of caramelized. Caramelized onions are a delicious addition to a wide variety of dishes, from soups to salads to pork chops and beyond. They can make a very simple, dressed-down seem like it’s straight out of a fancy French restaurant. Of course, the fancy part of it is probably due to the careful process of making caramelized onions, which many home cooks […]

The 11 Commandments of Cast Iron Care (Graphic)

Most people who own and regularly use cast iron can’t gush enough about it. You might wonder what all the hype is about cast iron, and you also might wonder why people are so legalistic about cleaning it. The thing is, they’re really not so difficult to care for, at all, and no matter how much they wear or rust, it’s actually usually pretty easy to get them back in shape again, if you know what you’re doing. The great news about cast iron is that if you use them regularly, you really don’t have to do very much at all to […]

The Simplest Way to Peel Garlic. Period. (Video)

Garlic is a homestead kitchen staple, but let’s face it; it’s more than a little tedious to fidget with the papery skin of each individual clove. Sure, you could smash your garlic with a knife or a mallet and make a big mess. If you have half an hour or more to spare, you could soften the skins in hot water. If you need to peel enough garlic to season food for an army, or make a hefty portion of a natural remedy like honey-infused garlic, you can shake them into oblivion between two bowls, but that’s more trouble than […]

How to Make Almond Milk (and Almond Flour!)

I love recipes that kill two birds with one stone (come to think of it, if you know a recipe that does this literally, let me know!), and making almond flour out of the leftovers from almond milk couldn’t be easier, or healthier! It’s very simple, and all you need is almonds and clean drinking water. Almond milk is a great alternative to dairy whether you are on the paleo or whole 30 diets, are lactose intolerant, or just enjoy a delicious and wholesome nut milk! Homemade almond milk is not only cheaper than store bought kinds, it’s actually way […]